BAN ENDOSULPHAN

We the undersigned are very much concerned about continued Endosulfan use in India. Despite being a poison and having caused many human sufferings and irreparable ecological damage this chemical is still sold and used in our country.Endosulfan which has been banned across 74 countries in all the continents after elaborate studies.In our own country Kerala and Karnataka have banned this chemical after finding health and environment damages.

We, the undersigned are demanding our government to bring a nation wide ban on Endosulfan. Also,we would like the Ministry of Environment & Forests to support the International Ban on Endosulfan in the upcoming Stockholm Convention. This would phase out the chemical globally.UNEP science panel Persistent Organic Pollutant Review Committee after three year deliberations finally recomended the pesticide Endosulfan for global ban and listing in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention.We feel your ministry will not succumb to the pressure of corporate lobby,as the chemical corporations are much worried about their profit than the safety of farm workers and consumers.Also, we as responsible citizens would be keenly watching the stand and proceedings both nationally and internationally till this toxic is phased out.
1. The use of endosulfan should be permanently banned.
2. A comprehensive health and environmental survey of the villages which were likely exposed to endosulfan should be undertaken to determine the extent of adverse health and environmental damage.
3. Remediation measures should be undertaken immediately on the affected villages . Immediate medical assistance should be provided to the victims and economic compensation paid for by the polluters should be awarded to the affected families. Clean-up of the soil and water at the expense of the polluters should be immediately undertaken in areas where endosulfan levels are determined to be high.
4. Community health and environmental monitoring for at least 10 years should be instituted to determine the occurrence of latent and delayed effects and to determine the effectiveness of remediation measures.
5. Policy reforms should be initiated to ensure adequate protection of health and environment from pesticides.
6. Steps should be taken to include endosulfan among the list of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) targetted for global elimination.














The entire people of Kerala has raised their strong protest against the Central Government’s decision not to ban the use of pesticide Endosulphan which has resulted in all kinds of health problems to the people. Children are born with deformities, chronic illnesses, mental problems and so on. The Government of Kerala and all the political parties have been demanding the Central Government to ban the use of this pesticide.

But the Central Government who is on the side of the MNCs and Endosulphan lobby has stated that when all the states demand for ban, then only it will consider favourably the question of banning Endosulphan.

It is against this anti-human attitude that the Chief Minister of Kerala VS Achuthanandan and other ministers along with thousands of people have organised mass fast throughout Kerala. Though the UDF led by Congress has not supported the fast, many of its constituents have participated in the fast.

It is time that the Central Govt. opened its eyes and issue ban orders immediately on Endosulphan.